‘Sheryl’ Review – A Swift, Unique Take On The Female-Driven Revenge Thriller [DWF NY 2023]

It appears the time is nigh for an influx of female-driven thrillers, and Sheryl is yet another entry into the genre. Acting as Justin Best’s feature debut, this film follows Sheryl Benito (Anthea Neri Best) after she gets dumped by her boyfriend after a botched killing spree. This event drives Sheryl to more violence in her hunt for perfect beauty and things only get more complicated as she is entangled with the police who are searching for the person responsible for her crimes. Sheryl shoots off with a bang by immediately throwing the viewer into the center of a torture-and-kill scene involving Sheryl, her boyfriend Tom, and some of Tom’s friends. This scene acutely sets the tone for the rest of the movie. These characters are not taking their actions very seriously, and are almost aloof to the situation they are in as they start fighting about personal issues with each other. This attitude towards violence and killing is held throughout the film and is held by every character outside of law enforcement.

Much of the film is shown through the lens of Sheryl, with only occasional shifts into the police investigation that brings them closer to catching her. After her breakup with Tom, Sheryl spirals with self-loathing and begins her hunt to become a more perfect-looking version of herself. This is an interesting twist on your typical revenge thriller that would normally lead the protagonist to direct her wrath toward the ex, but in this case, the revenge is more on herself, her looks, and the people who help her achieve these looks. This refreshing take on a story like this is the biggest highlight and makes it well worth the watch. 

While the narrative is a step above an average dime-a-dozen thriller, several factors bring this down. None of the performances stand out among the rest, whether good or bad. Anthea Neri Best gets the most time to show off her talents, and she has a solid outing as Sheryl but doesn’t necessarily leave a lasting impression on the viewer. The same can be said of the rest of the cast, as no one is particularly bad in their role. Additionally, the writing of these characters is fairly simple, so there isn’t exactly a ton for them to work with. The arcs and motivations are one-dimensional and ultimately do not provide much change or growth in these people. Similarly, the direction and cinematography are not anything to write home about. The camera moves and works in ways you would expect, not taking any risks with unique shots or scenes. 

An effective piece of Sheryl is its exploration into the expectations and social norms required of women in the dating world. Sheryl is constantly reminded by people around her that there is always someone prettier, someone better than her. Whether it be her family, coworkers, or friends, it seems like no one is in her corner. She responds to this pressure in the most extreme way, but some people can only take so much before they snap. Again, the engaging part of her violent actions is how she commits these acts with such ease and little thought, as if it was nothing. She seems like someone who has been killing for years. Her attitude indeed is that of a lifelong killer, but when she actually gets down to it she proves to not be very good at it. This angle brings out several laugh-out-loud moments as she comes in with so much confidence before things go awry. 

Coming in at a taut 72 minutes, the film attempts to say a lot in a short timeframe. Sheryl is a compressed thriller that is not without its flaws but is well worth the watch for some of the kills as well as the unique self-focused take on the revenge thriller.

Sheryl had its World Premiere at the 2023 Dances With Films New York.